O 130835Z JUN 67
FM USDAO TEL AVIV
TO DIA
INFO COMSIXTHFLT
CINCUSNAVEUR
BT
S E C R E T NOFORN 0884 JUN 67.
REF DIAAP-5 7657 JUNE 67.
[not
in file]
1. HAVE QUERIED OUR PRIMARY SOURCE WHO SAYS IMPOSSIBLE AT
THIS TIME TO GO BACK TO THE SECONDARY. SECONDARY SOURCE IS NOT,
IN FACT, A WILLING SUPPLIER OF INFO BUT RATHER A KNOWLEDGEABLE
PERSON WHOSE CONVERSATIONS OCCASIONALLY REVEAL USEFUL INFO.
TO ASK DIRECT QUESTIONS WOULD PUT HIM ON GUARD AND DRY UP THE
SOURCE.
2. PRIMARY SOURCE STATES FROM CONTEXT OF ORIGINAL CONVERSATION
HE BELIEVES STRONG PROBABILITY THE REFERENCE TRANSMISSIONS TOOK
PLACE PRIOR TO 080600Z.
3. FURTHER INFORMATION RECEIVED FROM EMBASSY OFFICER WHO SPOKE
TO YOUNG IDF NAVY OFFICER. THE NAVY OFFICER CLAIMS HE WAS ABOARD
ONE OF ATTACKING MTBS. MTB SAW A SHIP UNDER AIR ATTACK WITH
SMOKE ISSUING FROM SIDES. THOUGHT THEY SAW GUNS ON BOW.
THEY JOINED IN ATTACK AND AFTER TORPEDO LAUNCH AT ABOUT ONE
MILE CLOSED TO SHORT DISTANCE AT WHICH TIME THEY SAW US FLAG
WHICH HAD BEEN OBSCURED BY SMOKE. OFFICER SAYS CO OF HIS MTB
EXTREMELY REMORSEFUL AND CONCERNED.
4. FROM DATA AVAILABLE HERE ALUSNA RECONSTRUCTS PROBABLE BUT
NOT CERTAIN SERIES OF EVENTS.
A. IDF AIRCRAFT REPORTED SHIP IDENTIFIED HER U.S.
B. IDF AF HQ MAY OR MAY NOT HAVE BROADCAST INFO TO ALL
UNITS BUT PROBABLY UNINFORMED AIRCRAFT RETURNING FROM STRIKE
IN EGYPT WITH UNUSED ROUNDS ATTACKED LIBERTY.
C. MTB'S SAW AIRCRAFT ATTACK AND PRESUMED LIBERTY TO
BE EGYPTIAN SHIP. THEREFORE THEY EAGERLY RACED INTO
ACTION WITHOUT WAITING TO IDENTIFY OUR SHIP.
5. COORDINATED WITH EMBASSY GP-3 BT